Typewriter ribbon device



Aug. 21, 1962 E. c. LUNDEBERG TYPEWRITER RIBBON DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 24, 1959 INVENTOR.

E. C. LUNDEBERG pTTORNE) Aug. 21, 1962 E. c LUNDEBERG 3,050,172

TYPEWRITER RIBBON DEVICE Filed June 24, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 70 Q 9 O I INVENTOR.

0 w E. c. LUNDEBERG BY ATTORNEY 3,059,172 TYPEWRITER RIBBON DEVICE Edgar C. Lundeberg, 47 Hehron St, Hartford, Conn. Filed June 24, 1959, Ser. No. 822,661 8 Claims. (Cl. 197168) This invention relates to devices for feeding and for inking printing ribbons for a typewriter.

An object of primary importance is that a continuous or standard reversing typewriter ribbon is advanced step by step through the ribbon guide at the printing position of the typewriter; the ribbon during its movement to its printing position contacts the periphery of one or more inking spools suitably saturated with an inking composition.

Another object of the invention is to provide a driving mechanism for the inking ribbon operated from the key levers to actuate the carriage spring drum and, by means of a gear on the escapement drum, rotate a small gear at one end of a flexible driving shaft, the opposite end of the flexible shaft being drivingly attached to the shaft carrying the driving spool to advance the inking ribbon.

More generally the invention includes the step by step operation, either continuously in one direction or in opposite directions, of a typewriter ribbon, inking of the ribbon being accomplished by passing the ribbon over a portion of the periphery of one or more porous spools preferably of suitable felt or plastic material saturated with an inking solution or paste and positioned in the path of movement of the ribbon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container for an inking spool enabling a new spool to be mounted in its operative position in the typewriting machine with minimum handling and without the necessity of the operators hands coming in contact with the inking surfaces of the spool.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention may include the features of construction and operation set forth in the following specification and illustrated in the following drawings.

In the accompanying drawings annexed hereto and forming a part of this specification, I have shown two forms of the invention embodied in a standard form of typewriter but it will be understood that the invention may be otherwise embodied and that the drawings are not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims appended to this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a typewriter showing the invention in position thereon;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation partly in section, showing a part of the driving mechanism for the inking spool or spools and the inking ribbon;

FIG. 3 is a detail view of the ink applying spool and its supporting member;

FIG. 4 is central sectional view of the inking spool prior to its being mounted in position on the typewriter;

FIG. 5 is a view in elevation of the ribbon driving spool and associated parts;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of a reversing type ribbon feeding device; and

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of some of the parts shown in FIG. 6.

In the above mentioned drawings, there has been shown but two embodiments of the invention which are now deemed preferable, but it is to be understood that changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Briefly, and in outline, the present invention comprises a ribbon driving spool rotated by operation of the key and spacing levers through a flexible shaft drivingly connected by gearing to the carriage spring drum. The ribbon is advanced in a step by step manner by the feed spool either continuously in the same direction or periodically in opposite directions in a conventional manner and passes around several spaced guiding spools one or more of which may be ink supplying spools for the ribbon. The ribbon, when adapted for continuous step by step movement, is in the form of a closed loop and is guided over several spaced rolls or spools to enable the ribbon to have greater length.

Referring more in detail to the figures of the drawing and first to FIG. 1, it will be seen that a typewriter frame 10 is provided with the conventional key and spacer levers 12 and 14 respectively. Also the usual carriage roll 18 and ribbon vibrator 29 are or may be of conventional form and may be operated in the usual manner.

Passing over the spaced guiding spools on the upper surface of the frame 10 is the typewriter inking ribbon 22. The ribbon shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 of the drawings is in the form of a loop and is advanced always in the same direction. The ribbon 22 is guided through the ribbon vibrator 20 at the printing position of the typewriter which as shown is of conventional form. The ribbon 22 is inked from one or more freely rotatable spools such as spool 24 of porous plastic or felt material which may be saturated with a semi-fluid inking substance. The ribbon passes around and in contact with a portion of the periphery of the saturated spool 24 under a light contacting pressure.

To feed the ribbon 22 in a step by step manner past the printing station the ribbon passes over a small roll or spool 26 driven by means presently to be described by depression of the key and space bars 12 and 14.

As shown in FIG. 1 the ribbon 22 passes over small freely rotatable idler spools 28 at the front of the frame on opposite sides. Also the ribbon passes over the idler spool 25 and driving spool 26 in fixed positions immed iately in the rear of the spools 28 referred to above. The spool 26 is disposed symmetrically with the idler spool 25 and constitutes the feeding or advancing member for the ribbon 22. In addition, two spools or relatively large size, 24 and 32, are freely rotatable at the outer ends of arms 34 angularly adjustable in horizontal planes over which the ribbon 22 passes. By means of these spools 24 and 32 the proper slight tension may be applied to the ribbon. One or both of these spools 24 and 32 constitutes the inking spool for the ribbon 22. The arms carrying these larger spools 24 and 32 may be locked in any adjustable angular position to accommodate the length of the ribbon. To apply pressure of the ribbon against the feed spool 26 a contacting roller 36 is provided pressing against the outer surface of the ribbon 22 and giving the ribbon ample driving contact against the periphery of the feed spool 26. The pressure providing spool 36 is mounted on the free end of an arm 38 pivotally mounted on the frame 10 and has a spring 40 normally forcing the roller 36 toward the ribbon feed spool 26.

To slowly rotate the ribbon feed roll 26 in a step by step manner a gear 27 is provided on the carriage spring drum 29. Gear 27 meshes with a small gear 31 suppoted on the frame adjacent the gear 27 and is drivingly connected to one end of a flexible shaft 33. The opposite end of flexible shaft 33 is attached to the lower end of a short vertical shaft 35 on which the ribbon driving roll or spool 26 is mounted. Operation of the levers 12 and 14 through conventional means permits rotative step by step movements of the drum 29 in the usual manner. This motion of the drum 29 through the connections referred to above causes slight rotativemovements of roll 26 to advance the inking ribbon 22 to its printing position. As the motion of the ribbon is from the driving spool directly to the printing position there will be no tension in the ribbon as it passes through the vibrator at this printing position.

To mount the inking spools 24 and/ or 32 in position on their respective armsv 34 the spools may be enclosed within a special container 42. Similarly when standard ribbons of the reversing type are used they also may be enclosed in a receptacle of the same constrution. container is shown in section in FIG. 4. The inking spools 24 and/or 32 may be mounted in pairs on their flanged spindle 44, the two spools as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 being mounted co-axially and closely adjacent each other. The container 42 is preferably of moulded plastic material and the central hollow spindle 44 over which the spools 24 are mounted and firmly pressed is formed with an integral flange. The hollow spindle 44 fits loosely over the trunnion 45 on the end of arm 34 so that the spools 24 are rotatable thereon with the hollow spindle 44. The flange 46 formed integrally with the central hollow spindle 44 forms one end surface of the contaner 42. Co-operating with this flanged member 46 is a cylindrical cover member 48 fitting over the inking spools 24. The end surface of this cover member 48 has a central countersunk opening therethrough so that when in position over the inking spools a small headed plastic stud 50 may extend through the opening in the cover member and be pressed into the central opening of the integral hollow spindle 44 to retain the parts together. When the closing member 48 for the container is placed over the spindle 44 and the stud 50 pressed into the position shown in FIG. 4 there is formed a convenient com pact package for the inking spools. When an inking spool is required to be mounted in operative position it is only necessary to place the container 42 over the trunnion 45 and press it downward to force the stud 50 from within the opening within spindle 44. The cover member 48 may then be removed from the flanged spindle member leaving the spools and the flanged member 44 is position on the trunnion 45.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, it will be seen that the flexible shaft 60, corresponding generally to flexible shaft 33 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is driven by a bevel pinion 62. The flexible shaft 60 is shown extending to one side only of the typewriter. It will be understood, however, that another shaft 60 will be driven by the pinion 62 extending to the opposite side of the typewriter.

At opposite sides of the typewriter frame are frames or mountings 64 adapted to pivot about a short shaft 66 supported in a bracket 68 forming a fixed part of the machine frame. One only of these brackets 68 and frames 64 is shown in the drawing. Within each frame or mounting 64 is a small helical gear or worm 70 attached to the forward upper end of the flexible shaft 60. Rotation of the bevel pinion 62 is effected by rotation of a bevel pinion 72 meshing therewith.

Bevel pinion 72 is mounted on one end of a short shaft 74 on the opposite end of which is the carriage motion escapement wheel 76. As the carriage moves during the typing operation the escapement wheel 76 is given a slight rotative movement. This motion is transferred by the means referred to above to the flexible shafts 60 and from one of these shafts through its helical gear or worm 70 to the toothed periphery of the ribbon spool flange.

It will be understood that similar small helical gears or worms 70 will be mounted on each side of the typewriter frame and that the pivoted mounting or frame 64 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 will be duplicated on the opposite side of the machine. Connecting the two pivotally mounted frames 64 on opposite sides of the typewriter frame is a rod 78 so that movement of one pivotal frame 64 and its enclosed gear 70 moves the opposite pivotal frame and its gear. One of the gears 70 by movement of this rod 78. is moved into mesh with its ribbon spool and This the other gear 70 moves out of mesh with its ribbon spool. Adapted to engage these small gears 70 are large thin gears 80 mounted for rotation on vertical axes. These gears 80 are formed on the flanges of the ribbon spools 82 and rest on small platforms 86 from which their supporting spindles 88 extend. The small gears or worms 70 engage at an oblique angle with the teeth of the large gears 80 on a flange of a ribbon spool and one pair of these gears only is in mesh at any time. When the end of a ribbon is reached the increased tension on the ribbon approaching the driving spool forces the small or pinion gear 70 which is effecting the ribbon feed movement to be disengaged from the gear teeth 80 on the ribbon spool 82. This disengagement pivots the mounting 64 for the small gear 70 and actuates the rod 78 in a direction to engage the small gear 70 at the opposite side of the typewriter with its driving gear 80 formed on the flanges of its ribbon spool.

I claim as my invention:

1. A ribbon advancing device for typewriters comprising a carriage driving drum, a vertical shaft supported on the typewriter frame, a flexible shaft constituting a driving connection from the carriage driving drum to said. vertical shaft, 21 rib-bon driving spool mounted at the upper end of said vertical shaft, and a freely rotatable resiliently mounted spool normally pressed toward the periphery of the ribbon driving spool, the ribbon passing between the peripheries of the driving spool and the resiliently mounted spool.

2. A ribbon advancing device for typewriters comprising a carriage driving drum, a vertical shaft supported on the typewriter frame, a flexible shaft constituting a driving connection from the carriage driving drum to said vertical shaft, a ribbon driving spool drivingly mounted at the upper end of said vertical shaft, a freely rotatable resiliently mounted spool normally pressed toward the periphery of the said driving spool, the ribbon being in the form of a closed loop, and guiding idler rollers over which said ribbon passes to and from the printing station of the typewriter.

3. A packaged typewriter inking spool comprising a porous spool partially saturated with an inking composition, a flanged member having a hollow spindle on which said spool is mounted, a cover member fitting over said spool and having a central opening, and a stud extending through said central opening and into said hollow spindle, whereby said parts are retained in assembled position.

4. A packaged typewriter inking spool comprising a porous spool partially saturated with an inking composition, a flanged member having a hollow spindle on which said spool is mounted, a cover member fitting over said spool and having a central opening, and a stud extending through said central opening and into said hollow spindle, whereby said stud is forced outward to release said cover member when the spool is placed on its supporting spindle.

5. A packaged typewriter inking spool comprising a porous spool partially saturated with an inking composition, a flanged member having a hollow spindle on which said spool is mounted, a cover member fitting over said spool and having a central opening, and a stud countersunk into said central opening and entering and frictionally engaging the hollow spindle to retain said parts in assembled position, said stud being forced outward to free said cover member when the spool assembly is mounted inoperative position on its supporting spindle.

6. A combined receptacle and spool for ribbons and the like, comprising a body member having a hollow central spindle, a flange formed thereon at one end, a spool secured to said spindle, a cover member fitting against said flange and enclosing said spindle, said cover member having a central opening extending through its wall, and means to removably retain said cover member in position over said spindle.

7. A combined receptacle and spool for ribbons and the like, comprising a body member having a hollow central spindle, a flange formed thereon at one end, a spool secured to said spindle, a cover member fitting against said flange and enclosing said spindle, said cover member having a central opening extending through its wall, and a headed stud member extending through said 5 opening and frictionally engaging the opening within said spindle.

8. A combined receptacle and spool for ribbons and the like, comprising a body member having a hollow central spindle, a disk-like flange thereon extending radially from one end thereof, a spool secured to said spindle, a cover member closed at one end and having a cylindrical periphery extending to the outer diameter of the flange,

said cover member having a central opening in its closed end portion, and a stud passing through said opening and frictionally fitting within the opening in said spindle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 341,630 Bailey May 11, 1886 1,892,544 Wanders Dec. 27, 1932 2,343,905 Henze et a1 Mar. 14, 1944 10 2,387,330 Johnson et -a1 Oct. 23, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 603,257 Germany Sept. 26, 1934 

